United States Politics and Government

News about United States Politics and Government, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 31, 2015

Conservative Republicans are threatening to shut down government amid pledge to reject any spending bill that does not cut off funds for Planned Parenthood; point to videos alleging group sells fetal tissue for medical research; is latest example of ardent conservatives threatening shut down unless their policies are advanced. MORE

Jul. 28, 2015

Political Memo; Republican lawmakers with and without White House ambitions are winning points with the conservative base by attacking party leaders who were unable to fulfill their promises to stop Pres Obama on health care, immigration and federal spending. MORE

Jul. 26, 2015

Arthur C Brooks Op-Ed article underscores need for more optimism, and optimists, in American politics; points to negativity evident among presidential candidates from both parties that underscores prevailing spirit of pessimism; posits that whichever party can express optimism about future will be triumphant. MORE

Jul. 22, 2015

House of Representatives appropriations process has been unexpectedly paralyzed by debate within body over issue of flying Confederate battle flag on federal property; House Democrats have sought to use issue to pass new voting rights legislation, which Republican leaders had hoped to avoid in advance of 2016 elections. MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush outlines government overhaul plan that includes reducing federal work force by 10 percent and six-year waiting period before member of Congress can lobby on Capitol Hill. MORE

Jul. 20, 2015

Francis will become first Pope to address joint session of Congress in September, but visit threatens to highlight growing ideological tensions between pontiff and Republican party; visit is celebrated by Speaker John A Boehner, who is Catholic, but Francis has increasingly staked out positions that are at odds with Boehner's, including campaign against evils of capitalism, advocacy about global warming and enthusiastic support for nuclear deal with Iran. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Pres Obama kicks off campaign to win domestic support for Iran nuclear deal with extensive question and answer session during formal news conference; suggests that many of deal's critics have not even read details of agreement; Obama has 60 days to win over skeptics ahead of Congressional vote. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Obama administration has begun lobbying fellow Democrats and undecided lawmakers in support of nuclear deal with Iran; seeks not only to sustain veto but to acquire full 41 Senate votes necessary to block a resolution of disapproval; at bare minimum administration cannot lose more than 12 of 46 Democrats and independents if deal is to pass. MORE

Jul. 12, 2015

Op-Ed article by Howell Raines suggests demographic changes will inevitably make South more progressive; questions whether Republican Party will adapt; notes that if they do not, Democrats might break Republican hold on region. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

House Democrats, led by black members from Southern states, repel move by Republicans to allow Confederate battle flag to fly at national cemeteries; GOP withdraws amendment after debate roils Congress. MORE

Jul. 5, 2015

Ana Marie Cox Talk interview with Dinesh D'Souza, Indian American conservative political commentator, who discusses being imprisoned for violating campaign finance law and how it affected his view of prison system. MORE

Jul. 2, 2015

News Analysis; emails totaling 3,000 pages, released by State Department from first year in tenure of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, offer window into her professional life at time; messages reveal how she navigated early days of working for Pres Obama shortly after competing with him for 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. MORE

Jul. 2, 2015

President Obama's announcement to formally re-establish full diplomatic relations with Cuba by July 20 ignites storm among Republicans who see act as appeasement of dictatorial regime and 2016 presidential election campaign issue. MORE

Jul. 1, 2015

Frank Bruni Op-Ed column argues corporations are in many cases proving to be more effective leaders of social change in America than government; points to corporations' strong opposition to 'religious freedom' laws, support for immigration reform and removal of Confederate flag from government buildings; holds corporations must respond to broad, inclusive customer base, while government is often beholden to a few private interests. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Brian McFadden The Strip comic imagines major political events as summer movie blockbusters. MORE

Jun. 27, 2015

Success of Pres Obama's far-reaching Trans-Pacific Partnership can ultimately be attributed to plan for bipartisan congressional cooperation that was constructed by a politically unlikely triumvirate--the president, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John A Boehner. MORE

Jun. 25, 2015

Sec of State John Kerry faces unexpected challenge as deadline approaches in negotiations on pending nuclear program accord with Iran; five former members of Pres Obama's inner circle of Iran advisers post open letter, sent to White House and State Dept, questioning current agreement and expressing concerns that it falls short of administration's own standards for strong and viable deal. MORE

Jun. 25, 2015

News Analysis; Pres Obama's victory in bill giving him enhanced power to negotiate trade agreements strengthens his position internationally and clears way for completing Trans-Pacific Partnership; open skirmishing within his own party was damaging, however, and he faces question of how he will move ahead with Congress. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

Massacre of nine black parishioners at Charleston, SC, church has turned spotlight on white supremacist group Council of Conservative Citizens, as well as group's ties to Republican Party; many of groups themes are echoed in manifesto written by gunman Dylann Roof, while its president Earl Holt III has donated to campaigns of several prominent Republican presidential candidates. MORE

Jun. 22, 2015

Paul Krugman Op-Ed column observes America remains in shadow of slavery and racial hatred despite radically changing racial views and diminished level of outright, institutional racial oppression; argues massacre in Charleston, SC, shows how dangerous racial divide remains; observes legacy of Civil War and slavery remain powerful sociopolitical forces, and holds racial anxieties are still exploited in order to make working-class whites vote against their own interests. MORE

Jun. 21, 2015

Mark Leibovich First Words column examines use of word 'folks' by political figures. MORE

Jun. 21, 2015

Op-Ed article by Prof Cass R Sunstein describes results of survey of 563 people he conducted about how public reacts to soft interventions introduced by government, such as mandating disclosure of nutritional information at chain restaurants; notes that bipartisan majority of people surveyed approve of such measures. MORE

Jun. 20, 2015

Washington Memo; first batch of documents from files of former Vice Pres Dick Cheney, released in response to Freedom of Information Act requests by National Archives and Records Administration, contains no major revelations but offers some insight into controversial political figure. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

Editorial deplores House of Representatives' approval of bill that cuts federal financing for already ailing Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps program; holds AmeriCorps' modest tab of $665 million a year more than pays for itself in social benefits; warns proposed cuts, which are inconsequential in terms of national budget, would gut many valuable programs and shut others entirely. MORE

Jun. 18, 2015

Editorial opposes two pieces of House Republican legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act's tax on medical device manufacturers and board tasked with reining in Medicare spending; observes bills are nakedly partisan, will do nothing to help consumers, and would do significant harm to federal budget. MORE

Jun. 18, 2015

Ex-Im Bank, whose charter expires June 30 unless reauthorized, is seeing unprecedented opposition, especially from Republicans; most Democrats back bank as supporting jobs, while Republicans have split with influx of Tea Party conservatives; Congress is seen as eventually reauthorizing lender for American exporters. MORE

Jun. 17, 2015

Editorial calls on the Library of Congress to make policy reports produced by the Congressional Research Service readily available to the public; argues reports, providing essential insight at a time of partisan gridlock, have become an exclusive commodity for the connected in Washington. MORE

Jun. 17, 2015

Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column expresses broad disappointment with field of presidential candidates; observes each candidate is appealing only to their base, adding to a political polarization that has already done great harm; illustrates range of deep economic, educational and technological challenges that only a president with a principled centrism can properly address. MORE

Jun. 16, 2015

Congressional Republican leaders and the Obama administration work their way through list of possible procedural options that could allow Obama's ambitious trade agenda to make its way forward despite opposition from House Democrats, who have rejected provisions giving president fast-track authority. MORE

Jun. 16, 2015

David Brooks Op-Ed column details negative consequences that will result if Congressional Democrats succeed in defeating Trans-Pacific Partnership, including harming world's poor, damaging United State economy and stifling innovation; suggests that Democrats' opposition to deal is merely populist reaction. MORE

Jun. 15, 2015

Paul Krugman Op-Ed column observes Democratic party is growing more assertive amid decline of so-called 'Davos' liberals--those who for years preached centrist policies for fear that progressive initiatives would cause backlash; cites unabashedly liberal and populist speech from Hillary Clinton, along with decision by House Democrats to reject key aspects of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, as strong examples of this change. MORE

Jun. 13, 2015

House Democrats vote down worker assistance program in order to thwart legislation granting president broad trade negotiation powers and possibly obstruct completion of Trans-Pacific Partnership; house Republicans, unable to muster enough support to pass bill without Democrats, pass stand-alone bill granting trade negotiation powers, which cannot go to president since Senate version of bill combines both measures. MORE

Jun. 13, 2015

News Analysis; House Democrats' rejection of trade legislation may not impede signing of Trans-Pacific Partnership in long run, but does reveal sharp divide over economic issues within party; decision to vote against bill despite personal appeals by Pres Obama shows that Democratic lawmakers are no longer as willing to back president at expense of their constituents. MORE

Jun. 13, 2015

Mark Oppenheimer Beliefs column highlights work of Rev C John McCloskey III, California priest who is regarded for having overseen conversion to Catholicism of several prominent Republicans. MORE

Jun. 12, 2015

Many Congressional lawmakers are pressing Obama administration to provide weapons to Ukraine. MORE

Jun. 12, 2015

Senate fails to pass broad, bipartisan cybersecurity measure that would push companies to share access to their computer networks and records with investigators; failure is third time that major cybersecurity legislation has foundered in past three years. MORE

Jun. 11, 2015

Last-minute additions by Republicans are attached to separate trade-law enforcement bill being considered along with sweeping Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement legislation at center of House battle; legislative changes underscore how outcome of Pres Obama's expanded trade-negotiating clout rests with Republicans and not Democrats. MORE

Jun. 8, 2015

Editorial calls on Pres Obama to be willing and ready to use his veto power to block onslaught of legislation from Congressional Republicans intended to cripple critical environmental protections about to be promulgated by Obama administration; assails Congress for its lack of leadership, calling it transparent protection of big business and an appalling disregard for health of America's natural resources. MORE

Jun. 8, 2015

Arthur C Brooks Op-Ed article contends that American public plays a role in escalating negativity of political campaign rhetoric, despite fact that so many claim to find hate-mongering distasteful and tiring; calls on nation to fight back against hateful, intolerant politics by not consuming, praising or passing on overheated punditry of any kind, particularly the kind delivered anonymously through social media. MORE

Jun. 8, 2015

Paul Krugman Op-Ed article encourages Americans to look out for 'derp,' popular term describing the repetition of an argument even in the face of clear factual proof that it is wrong; contends economy-related derp is relatively easy to spot, and holds it is a civic duty, particularly in an election year, to be highly suspicious of anyone willing to repeatedly tell a potential voter exactly, and only, what they want to hear about the American economy. MORE

Jun. 7, 2015

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz Op-Ed article details how Google search data shows that little-known difference between Republican-leaning states and Democratic-leaning states is that the latter are far more likely to use therapy to treat mental illness; suggests that there may be more of a stigma surrounding mental illness in red states. MORE

Jun. 1, 2015

Republican Sen Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has been shunned and mocked by colleagues in his party, succeeds in temporarily blocking vote on renewal of section of Patriot Act that gives broad surveillance authority to National Security Agency. MORE

Jun. 1, 2015

Advocates for Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal in House warn they do not yet have enough votes to give Pres Obama trade promotion authority, crucial step for completion of deal; just 17 Democrats have signaled they will vote in favor of so-called fast-track authority, and while Republicans generally are supportive of deal, some conservatives are balking at idea of handing Obama victory. MORE

May. 31, 2015

Battle in Congress over National Security Agency's bulk collection of phone records is being waged among different Republican factions, with defense hawks squaring off against libertarians and new members clashing with old; Senate has been tasked with creating passable compromise bill, feat likely to prove challenging. MORE

May. 30, 2015

Diane Foley, mother of James Foley, hostage killed by ISIS in 2014, is joined by other family members of hostages in pressing United States government for changes in its policy on American kidnap victims held overseas by terrorists; Pres Obama has ordered review of policies in response to families' complaints that his administration has botched negotiations; changes are expected to be announced within month. MORE

May. 29, 2015

Paul Krugman Op-Ed column suggests Federal Reserve report on financial well-being of American households should be required reading for lawmakers, potentially resolving vast disconnect between conventional policies and economic insecurity of majority of Americans; says study shows just how little room for error there is in many American lives, and urges policymakers to find ways to ease burdens of less fortunate. MORE

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President Obama will unveil on Monday a set of environmental regulations devised to sharply cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s power plants and ultimately transform America’s electricity industry.